Combating heat loss at home is one of the most common problems facing householders looking to improve energy efficiency. A misconception is that by upgrading to a new boiler you can fix the problem instantly. But this simply isn’t the case. In our latest blog we look at the top causes of heat loss in the home and what you can do to tackle it.
HEAT ESCAPING THROUGH THE ROOF
In most homes, a shockingly large proportion of heat escapes via the roof, up to 25%. Simple physics will remind you the reason. Heat rises and it will look for the most effective escape route. Therefore proper roof insulation is an underrated but hugely effective method to tackle this issue. You will be able to keep heat in, reduce your fuel bills for years to come and also reduce your carbon footprint. Proper roof insulation should last for 40 years and it only takes 1-3 hours to install.
Heat escaping through the walls
Walls are another key way cause of heat loss at home. Older homes tend to have solid walls. Meanwhile anything built after will have cavity walls. For older homes external wall insulation is the solution to heat escaping. This is a layer of insulating material fitted to the exterior walls. Adhesive and mechanical fixings are used, which are then covered in a render coating with reinforced mesh. At the end a decorative coating is applied. As well as warming your home, as an added bonus, your home will have a transformed new appearance, adding value for a future sale. Meanwhile for newer homes, heat is lost in the cavity wall via a process called convection. More physics! This is the transfer of heat through the air in the gap (the cavity). In order to tackle this heat loss, you use insulating material which fills the air gap in between the bricks. This stops the convection by enclosing the remaining air. With nowhere to go, heat loss stays put for longer. This takes away the need for wasteful carbon emissions through turning up the heating.
Heat escaping through the floors
While we have looked up and to the sides, we shouldn’t forget to look down to find the next culprit of heat loss! Namely the floors. Heat can escape through draughty floorboards, generally in older homes. This can undo all the good work you may have done in insulating the rest of the property. To tackle this, floor insulation involves adding an insulating material beneath floorboards and/or concrete at ground level. This stops heat escaping. It will also help to prevent draughts.
heat escaping through the windows
Double glazing your windows can also make a difference, but its effect is minimal compared to other methods. An obvious way of looking at it is to compare the size of the window to the size of your floors/ walls and roof. It is simply not a big enough surface area to have a meaningful impact on heat loss. However of course there could be a host of other reasons for going down this route, including sound proofing where it can have a massive impact.
Proper draught-proofing
This tactic can make a big difference to ensuring you keep heat in. One of the simplest ways to stop draughts escaping is to close doors throughout the house. There is nothing as wasteful as putting the heat up in a room where you letting heat escape through an open door. You can go further once doors are closed by attaching proper draught proofing. You can also attach draught proofing to floorboards and windows and lofts for those who have them.
HAVING AN INEFFICIENT BOILER
Once you’ve taken the measures to keep heat in you will want to make sure you can then minimise any costs to produce the heat needed to keep you warm. Did you know that boilers account for over 50% of a home’s energy bill? In fact an A-rated boiler can save you up to £350 every year! This is because inefficient boilers need more energy to produce less heat. Boilers 10 years old may only work at 65% efficiency versus modern boilers which will work at 90% and above. By regularly servicing your boiler you can tackle some of these issues, but a modern combi-boiler may be the solution. All of our boiler installs include a horizontal flue (vertical flue extra) and a wireless room thermostat too. This can help you save even more money.
The good news is the measures listed needn’t cost a lot. In some cases you may be able to get them fully funded thanks to the Eco scheme. Get in contact with Zing Energy today to find out more about how to minimise heat loss. Our experts can give you tailored advice based on your specific energy needs.
